A physician or other health care professional requires accurate and relevant information about a patient in order to provide optimal care. This information is helpful when a person needs emergency treatment. For example, if a person is experiencing a cardiac event such as a heart attack, palpitations, lightheadedness or dizziness, or loss of consciousness, their cardiac information may not be available. The emergency medical treatment given to this person would be greatly enhanced if it were possible for the treating professional to obtain valuable diagnostic information about the person's cardiologically relevant medical history even in the event that it is not available from the afflicted person or someone speaking on his or her behalf.
The present invention relates generally to medical data and more particularly to methods and systems for storing and accessing medical data, such as electrocardiograms. The electrocardiogram (ECG) is a routine test and tool performed and used by almost every physician, hospital, medical clinic, and health provider. An ECG records changes in the electrical field evolving from the heart and contains basic information regarding the status of one's heart. Heart disease is the number one cause of medical illness, morbidity, and mortality worldwide. An ECG is pivotal in the diagnosis and treatment of every type of illness that might afflict the heart, such as myocardial ischemia (the lack of blood flow and oxygen to the heart) and myocardial infarction (heart attack), as well as illnesses that might afflict other organs, such as the lungs and the brain.
The electrocardiogram information is a critical part of one's medical record, which would only be interpreted by a trained medical professional. Electrocardiogram information can help identify critical events and provide information for diagnosing heart rhythm disturbances. In the setting of chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, lightheadedness or dizziness, palpitations, and/or loss of consciousness your ECG may show an abnormality in heart muscles, its wiring or its rhythm.
The ability to compare a patient's previous ECG with the patient's most recent ECG is of great value, as it enables a practitioner to assess any change in the cardiac profile of a patient. Often it is only after comparing a recent ECG with a prior ECG (which may not be available) that a definitive diagnosis can be made. A prior ECG can make the difference in a patient receiving unnecessary drugs, tests, and procedures and help focus the doctor to the appropriate treatment. In the extreme situation, such as an emergency, getting a new ECG from a patient takes time and the immediate availability of a previous ECG is extremely helpful. Moreover, a diagnosis based on a patient's newer ECG is uncertain without the comparison to a previous ECG (a baseline ECG). Unfortunately, it is often difficult to obtain a patient's previous ECG, and unless the patient is visiting his or her regular cardiologist, a new ECG is required in all cases and is the only data point for the diagnostician.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved system or method of providing patients and physicians with access to medical histories, such as the previous electrocardiograms of patients, which overcomes drawbacks of the prior art.